Virtual Adultery And Cyberspace Love

BBC KnowledgeNovember 28, 2009

This program exposes people who have risked everything for the promise of a life so far only experienced on a computer screen and in their fantasies. Discover what happens when the real world and the virtual world collide.

Technology is evolving from an external tool we wield when needed to an always-there presence that is with us, on us, even inside of us. But are these new devices and technologies changing who we are? Are they making us better? As we become more and more wired, are we becoming digital devices ourselves? (S.1 Ep.2) (class. tba)

The internet promises us escape from our offline reality. We can go places we never thought possible, reach people we never knew and express ourselves as never before. But can all this virtual freedom lead to a deeper confinement? As we sit in our homes, surrounded by screens, are we free and safe?

The internet enables us to connect with people, images, videos, and information in ways that were unimaginable 30 years ago. But with every click, keystroke, and view, we are re-wiring the very physical structure of our brains. Are we evolving, or simply feeding our most basic desires?

We all project images of ourselves online - the way we are, the way we want to be. What drives us all to create online stories about ourselves? What temptations exist to embellish, to express ourselves the way we do and what are the dark implications? (S.1 Ep.7)

The internet is changing everything - providing a voice to the voiceless, undercutting power, but also, perhaps, creating new means of control. In this episode, we look at the forces of change that are pushing back against authority - their possibilities, and their limitations. (S.1 Ep.8)